DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke rising senior Austin Cody dropped a 2&1 decision to Adam Goins Sunday in the final of the 41st South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship (June 12-16). The North Charleston, S.C., native was even-par on the day while falling to Goins (-3) at Musgrove Mill Golf Club in Clinton, S.C.

In the finals, Cody struck first with a par on No. 2 to go 1up. Goins birdied the par 5 third hole to square the match, but Cody answered back with another par win on No. 7 (par 3). His counterpart caught fire with birdies on No. 9, No. 10 and No. 12 to go 2up, before Cody recovered with a birdie win on the par 4 14th hole. Goins immediately birdied No. 15 to regain a two-hole edge and both players parred No. 16 and No. 17 as Goins secured the championship one year after finishing as runner-up at the event.

Cody opened match play with a 4&2 win over Brandon Truesdale. The Duke rising senior was 2-down after nine holes of play before turning things around. Cody began his comeback with a birdie on No. 11 and went on to win No. 12, No. 13 (birdie), No. 14, No. 15 and No. 16 (birdie) for the victory.

After a 3&2 win over Weston Bell in the round of 16, Cody squared off with Brad Thorne in a hard-fought quarterfinal match. Cody jumped on top early with a birdie on the par 4 first hole, but Thorne squared the match with a win on No. 3. Cody ripped off three straight birdies on No. 5-7 to go 3up and take control of the match. Thorne battled back with wins on No. 9 and No. 14 before Cody birdied the 373-yard, par 4 15th hole to go 2up with three holes remaining. Following pars on No. 16, Thorne remained in contention with a par win on No. 17 but Cody secured the victory with a par on the final hole. Cody played the round at five-under (67) in the quarterfinals.

Cody tacked on a commanding 4&2 win over Kyle Bearden in the semifinal Saturday. He collected wins on No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 11 to go 4up on the day. Bearden bounced back with birdie wins on No. 12 and No. 14 before Cody closed him out with a birdie-birdie finish on No. 15 and No. 16.

Cody reached the match-play portion of the event after shooting back-to-back rounds of 73 in stroke-play qualifying. His two-over 146 was good for a tie for sixth, while Goins was tied for eighth in stroke play at three-over (147).